The Magic School Bus: A Fish Tail? Merpeople aaaaarrrreeee Real?

by Ag211

8th grader Phoebe and her friends Keesha, Arnond, Wanda, Tim, Ralphie, Carlos and DA find their day at the beach begins to turn fishy when something and someone familiar emerges out of the ocean. They soon find that their beloved old teacher Ms Frizzle is missing and Liz needs their help to find her. Soon the old class are each given a fish tail to slip on instead of scuba gear.

2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1

Beach Day

"What a perfect day for the beach" i cry as i arrive at Mussel Beach. The sun was shining, clam waves crushing on the shore and the sound of seagulls swarking away. I, Phoebe arranged for a beach day with all my friends before we all had back to school on Monday.

Tim, Wanda, Arnold, Dorothy-Ann, Ralphie & Keesha were all returning from summer break and i thought we all have a last hurrah before we hit the books again. Thankfully they all agreed that it was a great idea as this beach brings back memories.

As i was the first one here, i begin to look for a perfect spot for all of us to place to make camp. I remember being here with everyone and our 3rd grade teacher Ms Frizzle. Ralphie had chosen an awful spot but was determined that it was the perfect spot.

Ms Frizzle then got a call from her Uncle Shelby who wanted to ask a favour. We all then (minus Ralphie and Liz) decide to call with Ms Frizzle as we were annoyed at Ralphie's choice of placement on the beach plus we wanted to go exploring.

We all go up to the pier to explore the wonders of high and low tide while helping Ms Frizzle's Uncle Shelby's friend Mert who turned out to be a Mussel!. We were to help reserve his spot for him which happened to be located on the cliff front were all the other mussels and sea limpets lived.

After being turned into Mussels oursleves and Ms Frizzle becoming a crab with the help of the Magic School Bus, we sound find that it was a major battle to find the perfect place when you are a Mussel. Mert knew just where the perfect spot was, right in the middle of the cliff.

Gosh how i miss those days, going on field trips with the Friz. I often wonder what kind of exciting adventures she is having now. Does she miss us?. "Hey Phoebs!" i hear someone call out my name. I turn around and notice that it was Ralphie.

"Hi Ralphie!" i answer to him "Thought to help you out find the perfect spot!" Ralphie says to me while carrying a whole heap of beach stuff "HAAAAAA smell that salty air!". I giggled "Thanks Ralphie, looks like we might have a good variety of spots today, i was think maybe over there?" i say to him as i point towards my right.

Ralphie glanced where i was thinking to make camp, as he pulled down his sunglasses down his nose. "Hmmmm! Yep that will do, as i can see that the spot i chose 5 years ago has been taken" he says. "Great, sorry that its not our usual spot and that we might have to wait a little longer in a que for ice cream!" i say to Ralphie.

"Oh don't worry Phoebs! We will just have to make sure that as soon as the ice cream truck comes we make a beeline for it!" Ralphie says happily, i giggled again. This time i appreciate Ralphie for being a little bit more calm and cool this time round about choosing the perfect spot. I'm sure the others will too when they arrive.

It wasn't long until DA, Wanda, Keesha, Arnold, Tim and Carlos arrrived. Arnold and DA brought snacks & lemonade, while Wanda and Tim brought games. Keesha and Carlos brought a wireless speaker and with a funky playlist. As you might have guessed Ralphie and i were the ones to come early to find a good spot on the beach.

After setting up our little camp with our beach umbrellas and towels, we walked to collect shells, built sandcastles and had a game of beach volleyball. Carlos was excited to try his new SUP (Stand Up Paddleboard) and we all wanted to have a go on it.

We had a play in the waves and a swim unitil the girls and i all returned to our towels to sunbathe. The boys remained on the waters edge having a splash fight. I lay down on my towel "Hey cool towel Phoebe!" says DA. I smiled, i was so happy that i was not picked on for having a towel with a mermaid picture on it.

I've always had a love for mermaids. I use to pretend to be one when i was little. Still to this day, I wish to be able to breathe underwater without an aid of an oxygen tank and see what's its like to be able to live beneath the waves for a day. How i wish for mermaids to be real but sadly they are just creatures in fairy tales.

"Hey DA, love your bikini!" i hear Keesha say as i come out of my day dream "Thanks Keesh! I love yours too!" DA answers happily. We all were wearing our bikinis whether they are old or new. The boys all wore wearing their swimming trunks with bare chests.

I look over to Wanda who seemed quieter then usual, i then ask her if she is ok "Hey girls? When did those people leave?" Wanda asks. "Huh?" Keesha, DA and myself all say in wonder. We soon find that Wanda was right all the people including those who were in our old spot where the ice cream truck would pull in, have left.

The boys finish their game and immediately they had noticed too. "How long have we been the only ones on the beach for?" asks Tim, "The whole beach to ourselves cool!" says Carlos excitedly, "I don't like the sign of this!" says Arnold worriedly.

We were the only ones left on the beach. "Doesn't this seem a little odd?" asks Keesha, "Who cares, now we will be the first in line for ice cream!" answers Ralphie chuffly. We all cried out his name and began to laugh.

Suddenly we all get stated by a large wave that crashed on the beach. "Cool surfs up! Who wan't to go surfing on my SUP?" yells Carlos, we were all a little nervous to try except for Ralphie and Wanda. Wanda was a fearless girl and she feared nothing "Come on you weasly wimps! I'll have a go!" she yells while following Carlos.

Those of us who were left all watched as Wanda, Ralphie and Carlos headed towards the water with Carlos carrying his SUP. "Hey what's that?" i cry, i had spotting something in the water. "Oh no SHARK!" cries Arnold, "Do you guys see it too?" i ask everyone, "I see it but i don't think its a shark Arnold!" says Tim.

Wanda, Ralphie and Carlos paused as they spotted it too. Tim, Arnold, DA, Keesha and i got up and headed towards them to get a closer look at what was in the water "I think its catching that wave! Almost hanging 10" says Ralphie. We all looked more closely and Ralphie was right whatever it was, was hanging 10.

It was something surfing on a surfboard alright but didn't look human!. Too small to be a shark but it had a tail and it was catching a wave on a bazaar looking surfboard!. We all gazed at it as it got closer and closer, it's, it's "LIZ...?".

Authors Note: For those of you who are not familiar with a SUP, it stands for Stand Up Paddleboard. They are so much fun to ride and great excercise! It's cross between a surfboard and a canoe (sorry its the best discription i could come up with) and you stand on it while using a paddle to help you move on the water. Google it! You might find a local school or a surf shop who sells them near you.